The present invention relates to burners that burn a combustible gas, and, in particular, the invention concerns burners of the type that are used in cooking appliances of various kinds.
Gas burners such as gas surface burners, for example, that are used with domestic gas ranges typically include a burner body or head that includes a plurality of burner ports through which a combustible gas is distributed to the exterior of the burner body. A burner cap can be provided at the top of the burner body so as to close off the interior of the burner body to the escape of the combustible gas. Usually a mixing conduit introduces a mixture of a gaseous fuel and air as the combustible gas into the burner body. The gas-air mixture can be confined in combustible gas plenum within the burner body that is closed off by the burner cap. From the plenum, the combustible gas typically passes through the burner ports and is ignited by an igniter and burned. Often times the burner body has a circular configuration so that a ring of discrete flames emanating from the burner ports is established. The gaseous fuel typically comprises natural gas (which is primarily methane), propane, butane or mixtures thereof.
One of the conditions affecting the performance of combustible gas burners concerns airflow disturbances that can arise at the burners upon the occurrence, for example, of ambient air drafts or drafts that are caused by the rapid opening and closing of doors and drawers, such as range oven doors and range storage drawers, that are provided in the cabinets in which the burners are located. Airflow disturbances of these and other types can affect the stability of the flames at the burner ports even to the extent of causing extinction of the flames. Flame extinction caused by airflow disturbances is a nuisance at least for the reason that the burner must be reignited.